COMMUNITY ADVOCATE – In response to the need for additional accommodation during the upcoming Boston Marathon, the City of Marlborough’s hospitality industry has designated 80 of its hotel rooms for runners and their families.

Working in collaboration with the MetroWest Tourism & Visitors Bureau (MWTVB), the Marlborough Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) will also be providing transportation throughout the four-day weekend, giving the city’s hotel guests convenient access to all Marathon events.

“I saw this as an opportunity to build a long-term relationship with the Boston Athletic Association,” said MEDC Executive Director Tim Cummings. “Our mission is to create an economically sound and socially robust community, and this is a small way we can help fill hotel rooms, while also supporting a wonderful event, which, after all, starts just 11 miles away from us.”

Marlborough is just a 15-minute drive away from the Marathon’s starting line in nearby Hopkinton. This makes the city’s hotels a convenient and affordable option for the thousands of runners who will be descending on the region during the Patriots’ Day holiday weekend.

“We have nearly 1,500 hotel rooms in the city, and the largest concentration of hotels along the Route 495 corridor,” said Marlborough Mayor Arthur Vigeant. “I heard there was a need, and I knew we could help. This is a great win-win for everyone.”

This year’s Boston Marathon takes place Monday, April 21, just a day after Easter. The usual field of 26,000 runners is expected to swell to 36,000 this year, and the number of spectators who line the 26.2-mile route is expected to increase to well beyond 500,000.

“The Boston Marathon is the largest single-day sporting event in the world, and we are so pleased that Marlborough’s hospitality industry is generously partnering to serve the need,” MWTVB Executive Director Susan Nicholl said.